PS Audio P500 User manual

Brand: PS Audio

Model: P500

Type: User manual

PS Audio P500 is a power regenerator capable of delivering the highest level of AC performance to all audio and video components. It features MultiWave II technology that allows you to choose between different waveform settings to optimize the power delivery to your system. The P500 also has two power delivery zones: four outlets produce "Regenerated AC" with MultiWave II and two outlets pass "Filtered AC" for high current equipment. With a massive heat sink and thermally controlled cooling fan, the P500 is designed to provide clean and stable power to your system for years to come.

Table of Contents

1. What’s in the Box

2. Warning

2. Safety Instruction

2. Overview

3. Quick Start Guide

4. Rear Panel Layout

4. Front Panel Controls

4. Display Modes

6. Additional Display Notifications

6. Setup Display Mode

7. MultiWave II

8. Servo System

8. Troubleshooting Guide

10. Specifications

10. Warranty and Service

12. Contact Information

What’s in the Box

• One Power Plant P500

• One 6 foot AC power cable

• One user’s manual

• One warranty card

• One spare 1 amp fast blow fuse

• One spare 15 amp slow blow fuse

IMPORTANT:

Be sure to save all packing materials included

with the Power Plant P500 as this will be

required if you ever need to ship the unit for

service or modification.

PS Audio International, Inc.

4826 Sterling Dr.

Boulder, CO 80301 USA

Toll Free: 877-772-8340

Ph: 720-406-8946

Fax: 720-406-8967

www.psaudio.com

Warning

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not

expose the unit to rain or moisture. To avoid

electrical shock, do not open the enclosure.

Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

To prevent electric shock, use a 3 prong,

grounded type power cable.

Any change or modifications not expressly

approved in the manual could void your war-

ranty.

Safety Instructions

Any turntable or equipment with AC

synchronous motors, such as some cooling

fans should not be used with MultiWave II.

This equipment must be used with 60Hz

SineWave mode.

We recommend the use of the SineWave

[SINE] or TubeWave [TWAVE] with any type

of tube based audio products.

Read the operating instructions provided with

your P500.

Retain the operating instructions for later use

and reference

Unplug the P500 from the wall outlet before

changing the fuse or performing any cleaning

or service.

Do not operate the P500 near water. Avoid

placement near a water reservoir or excessive

moisture.

When replacement parts are required, be sure

they are specified

by the manufacturer

to have the same

characteristics as

the original part.

Unauthorized substi-

tutions may result in

fire, electric shock,

or other hazards.

Do not operate

with faulty or frayed

power cables.

Overview

The Power Plant P500 is a power regenerator

capable of delivering the highest level of

AC performance to all audio and video

components.

The PS Audio Power Plant P500 is designed to

operate as a stand-alone power management

device, or as part of a larger power management

system. In many cases one P500 will be all that

is necessary to protect, clean and regenerate

power for a 2 channel audio system or small

home theater system.

The P500 has two power delivery zones:

Four outlets produce "Regenerated AC" with

MultiWave II™. Two outlets pass "Filtered

AC" by filtering power with Ultimate Outlet™

technology.

The Regenerated AC zone is capable of

delivering up to 500 watts of peak power,

depending on the load. The filtration zone is not

current limiting and will deliver as much power

as your wall socket can provide.

All settings in the P500 are non-volatile. Any

changes made to the settings will not be lost,

even if the P500 is disconnected from AC

power.

• Up to 500 watts power delivery - depending

on load requirements.*

• Next generation MultiWave II technology

featuring AutoWave and TubeWave.

• Independent power zones keep power for

analog, digital and high current equipment

electrically isolated.

• Regenerated AC delivered through 4 Power

Port outlets.

• Filtered AC by High Current Ultimate Outlet™

delivered through 2 Power Port outlets.

• Front panel display for systems monitoring

and user interface.

• Front panel displays waveform setting, output

voltage, wattage and percentage of maximum

power output.

• Massive heat sink with thermally controlled

cooling fan.

• Reduction of AC line noise by more than

70dB.

• High voltage surge suppression devices for

surge and spike protection.

• Lower AC impedance for better transients.

• Massive toroidal transformer for extended

headroom.

• PS Audio’s brushed aluminum FRAME

chassis.

• Optional rack mount capability.

• PS Bus for communication with other PS

Audio devices.

* Note about power consumption:

The P500 is capable of delivering up to 500 watts into a

reactive load and up to 350 watts into a resistive load.

Examples of a reactive load are: most solid state equipment

and video products. An example of a resistive load is: tube

based equipment.

Quick Start Guide

1. Place the P500 in a rack or on a shelf in the

audio/video system. If placed on carpet it is

necessary to use isolation or accessory feet to

elevate it above the carpet 1 inch. Ensure there

are no objects within 6 inches of the rear of the

unit as it is necessary for proper ventilation.

Failure to do so could compromise the power

regeneration capabilities of the P500.

2. Connect audio/video equipment to the P500.

There are three electrically isolated duplex

receptacles on the P500, which are oriented

vertically.

For optimum performance, we recommend

that equipment with low wattage power

requirements be plugged into the "Regenerated

AC" receptacles (2-ch preamps, AV processors,

DVD/CD players, Satellite receivers, PVR’s, D to

A converters, low power solid state amplifiers,

etc).

Equipment with high wattage power

requirements should be plugged into the

"Filtered AC" receptacles (direct view TVs,

plasma or projection displays, multi channel,

tube or high powered amplifiers).

3. Plug the P500 into a power source such as

a wall AC outlet. Use the supplied AC power

cable, or an aftermarket power cable. We would

strongly urge the use of an xStream Power

Cable.

4. Turn on the P500 by pressing the power

button located on the far left side of the front

panel. The Regenerated AC zone will become

active. The Filtered AC zone becomes active

when the P500 is plugged into a live outlet.

5. If desired, select a MultiWave II setting or

allow AutoWave to adapt to the power needs of

your system using the front panel controls.

Default settings

The P500 comes from the factory with standard

default settings that should work well for most

situations. The type of power delivery can be

configured to achieve the optimal performance

for any system.

Specifications

Output:

Power (regenerated) - 500 Watts

(filtered) - 1800 Watts

Voltage - 95 - 250 Volts

(depending on model)

Frequency - 50 - 120 Hz

Current - 7 Amps

Peak - 10 Amps (soft limit)

Distortion (THD) - 0.1%

Input:

AC input range - 90-250 Volts

(depending on model)

Frequency input - 50/60 Hz

Input capacity - 750 VA

Power consumption - 35 Watts

(with no load)

General

Width - 17.25 in

Height - 4.25 in

Depth - 13 in

Weight - 33 lbs

Cooling system - forced

convection

Warranty and Service

Inside the U.S. and Canada

PS Audio’s warranty is 3 years parts and labor,

from the date of original purchase. The warranty

follows the product itself regardless of ownership,

new or used.

Outside the U.S. and Canada

PS Audio has authorized distribution in many

countries of the world. In each country, the

authorized importing retailer or distributor has

accepted the responsibility for warranty of products

sold by that retailer or distributor. Warranty service

should normally be obtained from the importing

retailer or distributor from whom you purchased the

product. In the unlikely event of service required

beyond the capability of the importer, PS Audio will

fulfill the conditions of the warranty. Such product

must be returned at the owner’s expense to the PS

Audio factory. Contact your PS Audio distributor

or the PS Audio customer service department for

more information.

Service issues

Should your unit ever require service or if you have

any technical questions about the P500, you must

either contact your dealer (PS Audio if purchased

direct) or your PS Audio distributor. No equipment

will be received at our service facilities without an

attached RA number.

If the product was purchased through an authorized

PS Audio dealer or distributor, the RA number

must be obtained by the dealer or distributor. If the

product was purchased from PS Audio direct, the

RA number can be easily obtained by contacting

PS Audio by phone at 720-406-8946 or by e-mail

at <[email protected]>

The P500 will not power up during the cool

down process.

The P500 is ready to be reactivated only after

it returns to safe operating temperature, at this

time the power button will become active.

Please use this time to reduce the load that is

connected to the Regenerated AC outlets of the

P500. This message will be displayed when the

P500 is being overworked.

Note about operation:

This message applies only to the regenerator circuit. The Power

Port receptacle dedicated to the built in High Current Ultimate

Outlet will continue to pass AC.

The display is flashing a percentage

The P500 will turn itself off and flash a

percentage (for example, "184%") on the display

if it detects an over-current condition.

If the current draw exceeds 100% of the P500’s

maximum recommended capacity for more than

3 seconds, it will power down and display the

over-current amount.

If the current draw exceeds 200% of the

P500’s maximum recommended capacity, it will

instantaneously power down and display the

over-current amount.

Press the front panel power button once to clear

the flashing display and again to turn the unit

back on. If this message continues to appear,

you must reduce the load on the P500.

Note about operation:

This message applies only to the regenerator circuit. The Power

Port receptacles dedicated to the built in High Current Ultimate

Outlet will continue to pass AC.

The display is flashing "SHORT"

The P500 will turn itself off and flash "SHORT"

on the display if it detects an electrical short,

which means a product connected to the P500

is trying to draw too much current. This could

be related to a defective power cable that is

plugged into the back of the P500.

Press the front panel power button once to

clear the flashing display and again to turn the

unit back on. If it continues to flash "SHORT"

disconnect all output connections from the back

of the P500 and power it up again. Be sure to

check the power cables for any defects before

plugging them back in.

If the display continues to read "SHORT" please

contact your dealer for additional service.

Note about operation:

This message applies only to the regenerator circuit. The Power

Port receptacles dedicated to the built in High Current Ultimate

Outlet will continue to pass AC.

The display is flashing "FAULT"

The P500 will turn itself off and flash "FAULT"

on the display if it detects a general hardware or

software error. It is highly unlikely that the P500

will ever experience this condition, but FAULT

indicator has been built-in to ensure proper and

long-term product reliability.

If this message is displayed, simply turn the

P500 off using the front panel power button, let it

sit for a few seconds and power it back up. If the

"FAULT" message continues to appear, please

contact your dealer for additional service.

Note about operation:

This message applies only to the regenerator circuit. The Power

Port receptacle dedicated to the built in High Current Ultimate

Outlet will continue to pass AC.

The P500 shut down but the display is blank

and the fuses are not blown

The P500 has redundant thermal protection that

will shut the unit down in the event the internal

temperature is too hot. If airflow is inadequate

or room temperature is very warm and the P500

is run near 100% capacity for very long periods

of time this type of shut-down may occur. The

P500 will automatically turn back on when it has

cooled sufficiently. If this occurs the load should

be lessened on the P500 or else improve the

airflow around the P500.

How do I reset the settings to factory

default?

The P500 was designed to easily reset the

microprocessor back to the original factory

default. If the P500 is displaying any characters

in the front panel that seem abnormal, if the front

panel buttons do not correlate with the display

read-outs or to simply reset all settings back to

the factory defaults follow these instructions.

With the unit powered off, hold down both Mode

buttons (Up and Down) and press the Power

button. This will activate the Setup Display

Mode. Using the Mode Up or Down buttons,

cycle to the "RESET" mode. Press either Edit

button (Up or Down) and the display will read

"GO ->" to confirm the choice. Press either

Edit button again to perform the reset function.

Once it is complete, the P500 will exit the Setup

Display Mode automatically.

Rear Panel Layout

1. PS Bus

The P500 comes equipped with a built in PS

Bus. The PS Bus allows other PS Audio products

equipped with a PS Bus to communicate via

standard RJ11 "twisted end" crossover cable.

2. IEC AC Power Inlet

15 Amp IEC standard male socket.

3. Main and Protection Fuses

The main fuse is a 15 Amp slow blow. The

protection fuse is a 1 Amp fast blow. Both can

be removed by inserting a flat device into the

fuse holder and twisting counter-clockwise.

4. Power Ports™

Three PS Audio Power Ports™ provide the best

possible connection to power equipment.

5. Ventilation slots

The ventilation slots provide exhaust for the

thermally controlled cooling fan. Leave at least 6

inches of clearance behind the unit at all times.

Front Panel Controls

There are five buttons on the front panel of the

Power Plant P500.

1. Power

2. Mode Down

3. Mode Up

4. Edit Down

5. Edit Up

Power On/Off

The power button will activate the front panel

display and output AC power to the Regenerated

AC zones. Power will continue to pass through

the Filtered AC power zone as long as the P500

is plugged into a live AC outlet.

Mode

The Mode Up and Mode Down buttons cycle

through the available display modes.

Edit

The Edit Up and Edit Down buttons cycle through

the available options within each display mode.

Display Modes

There are six available display modes on the

front panel of the P500. The Mode Up and Mode

Down buttons cycle through the following six

modes:

1. Waveform setting

2. Frequency generated (SINE mode only)

3. Voltage produced

4. Wattage produced

5. Percentage of maximum power output

6. Display blanking mode

Waveform setting

This mode will display the name of the

waveform presently being delivered through

the Regenerated AC outlets. In the SINE mode

the P500 will generate a perfect SineWave (50-

120Hz). Each of the successive Multiwave™

modes will generate a different series of

frequencies through the Regenerated AC

outlets.

For more information about each of the

MultiWave™ settings, see the MultiWave II

section of the manual.

Frequency generated

This mode will display the frequency the P500 is

generating, while in SINE mode. The frequency

can be adjusted in 1 hertz increments from 50Hz

to 120Hz by using the Edit Up and Edit Down

buttons. The default setting is 60Hz.

The frequency setting will only be displayed if

the Waveform menu is set to SINE.

Voltage produced

This mode will display the output voltage of the

Power Plant at the Regenerated AC outlets.

The output voltage can be adjusted in 1 volt

increments by using the Edit Up and Down

buttons. The range varies depending on the

Power Plant model:

• 100 volt model ranges from 95 - 105 v

Default setting is 100 volts.

• 120 volt model ranges from 110 - 125 v

Default setting is 117 volts.

• 240 volt model ranges from 220 - 240 v

Default setting is 220 volts.

(adjustments in 2 volt increments)

As long as the voltage to the Power Plant does

not deviate more than 10% below normal it will

continue to output the voltage displayed on the

front panel.

Wattage produced

This mode will display, in real-time, the wattage

the P500 is generating. The P500 is capable of

delivering up to 500 watts for short amounts of

time, however if over 500 watts is drawn for too

long or peak wattage is too large then

the P500 will go into protection

mode. The watt meter

will only show the total

wattage produced

for the zone labeled

Regenerated AC.

Percentage of

maximum power

output

This mode will display,

in real-time, the

percentage of total

power currently being

used by equipment on

the Regenerated AC

outlets. This reading will

factor the type of load

into the percentage

of maximum power

output. The percentage

of maximum power

output is not necessarily

proportional to the wattage produced, as it will

vary with the type of load.

It is possible that the display will show over

100% for short amounts of time during heavy

current draw. This will typically occur during

loud or very dynamic passages of music or

very bright scenes in video. The P500 will not

maintain 100% output power continuously.

Display Blanking

This mode allows discrete front panel operation

by blanking the display. The PS logo will

continue to illuminate in blue to indicate that the

unit is operational.

Servo System

The Power Plant provides a virtual Servo

System to continually correct for any DC offset.

This will reduce hum from problematic or sensi-

tive transformers as the Power Plant produces

pure AC waveforms indefinitely without the need

for calibration.

Troubleshooting Guide

The Power Plant P500 sets a new mark for

performance and protection. It has been

designed to bring forth the absolute best from

the connected equipment. In addition to the

audio and video improvements, the P500 will

also provide long-term product reliability and the

piece of mind that connected equipment is safe

from electrical disturbances.

In the event of abnormal operation with the

P500, please refer to the following suggestions:

Unit will not turn on

1. Check the obvious.

Is it plugged in and

is the AC wall outlet

live? This can easily

be tested by using a

functional lamp. Plug

the lamp into the wall

outlet and see if the

light works. If not, the

P500 may be plugged

into a switched outlet,

or perhaps the circuit

breaker feeding the

outlet has tripped and

needs resetting.

2. After plugging the

unit into the wall,

the display will read

"WAIT" for several seconds to initialize its

circuitry. The P500 will only become activated

after pressing the front panel power button. Be

sure that the unit is both plugged into the wall

and turned on by the front panel power button.

3. Check the Main Fuse. The chances of the

Power Plant’s main fuse being blown are very

remote. However, if the Main Fuse is blown,

the P500 will be completely inoperable. To

check the fuse locate the section of the back

panel labeled "Main Fuse." Unplug the unit

from the wall, remove the fuse and check its

conductivity. If necessary, replace the fuse and

try powering up the P500. If the main fuse is

blown and a replacement fuse does not solve

the problem, please contact your dealer for

additional service.

The Regenerator outlets are passing AC, but

the Filtered AC outlets are not functioning

Check the Protection Fuse. To check the fuse

locate the section of the back panel labeled

"Protection Fuse." Unplug the unit from the

wall, remove the fuse and check its conductivity.

If necessary, replace the fuse and try powering

up the P500. If the Filtered AC outlets still do

not pass AC, please contact your dealer for

additional service.

The P500 seems to be working, but the

display is blank

The P500 may be in the display blanking mode.

Press the Mode Up or Down buttons on the front

panel and the display should turn back on.

My turntable or fan based equipment is not

operating normally.

Any turntable or equipment with AC synchronous

fans should not be used with MultiWave II or

AutoWave. These products must be used with

60Hz SINE mode or be plugged into the Filtered

AC outlets.

The display is flashing "HOT!"

The P500 will turn itself off and flash "HOT!" on

the display if it detects an internal temperature

that exceeds safe operating limits. The internal

cooling system will continue to operate until the

temperature has been reduced to a safe limit.

Additional Display Notifications

HOT! - If the P500 exceeds safe operating

temperature the front panel display will flash

"HOT!". The Regenerated AC outlets will stop

generating AC until the P500 returns to safe

operating temperature. The internal fan will

continue to run and the power should not be

disconnected at this time. See troubleshooting

guide if problem persists.

PERCENTAGE - If the equipment connected to

the Regenerated AC outlets draws current over

100% for more than 3 seconds, or over 200%

for any amount of time, the display will flash

the over current percentage (ex. 184%) and the

P500 will shut down. If the behavior continues

the load should be reduced. This can be done

by moving some of the equipment powered by

the Regenerated AC outlets to the Filtered AC

outlets. See troubleshooting guide if problem

persists.

SHORT - If the P500 detects an electrical short

either internal or external the front panel display

will flash "SHORT". If turning the unit off and

back on again from the front panel does not

correct the problem then the power cable should

be removed and reinserted. See troubleshooting

guide if problem persists.

FAULT - If there is any other type of operational

error the P500 will flash "FAULT" in the display.

The same procedure should be taken as in

SHORT mode. See troubleshooting guide if

problem persists.

Note About Operation:

In all of these situations the Regenerated AC outlets will not

produce power, however, the Filtered AC outlets will continue to

pass power. If the P500 is in display blanking mode the above

notifications will still be displayed.

Setup Display Mode

There are 4 additional parameters that you

can access in the setup display mode. The

setup display mode can be activated by

pressing the Mode Up and Mode Down buttons

simultaneously while powering on the P500.

Pressing Mode Up/Down will scroll through the 4

setup parameters. The 4-setup parameters are:

1. Software version [VER.]

2. Network Address [N ADR]

3. Network Group [N GRP]

4. Reset [RESET]

To exit the setup menu at any time, power down

the P500 and all changes will be saved.

Software version

This mode will display the current version of the

P500 operation software. Press the Edit Up/

Down key to display the version number. This

mode cannot be edited.

Network Address

If more than one piece of PS Audio equipment

is used in a system, then each piece connected

to the PS Bus must have a unique Network

Address. In this way, each piece of PS Audio

equipment can easily be recognized and

identified in the Network Bus. There are 8

possible Addresses which can be selected by

pressing the Edit Up/Down buttons when in the

Network Address mode.

If no Network Address is set then the P500 will

operate independently of any other PS Audio

equipment on the PS Bus.

Network Group

It is possible to assign the P500 to a unique

Network Group. There are 3 possible

groups which can be selected by pressing

the Edit Up/Down buttons when in the

Network Group mode. If it is necessary

to have more than one Group on the PS

Bus then, all PS Audio products can exist

on the same PS Bus yet communicate

in separate groups so each Group will

operate independently.

Reset

If at any time it is necessary to reset all

of parameters of the P500 to their default

settings, it can be done by pressing the

Edit Up/Down button twice while in RESET

mode. See Also the troubleshooting guide.

MultiWave II

MultiWave II is a technology available exclusively

on the newest PS Audio Power Plant series of

AC Regenerators. The P500 includes MultiWave

II and also features AutoWave and TubeWave.

There are 4 MultiWave II waveforms as well as

TubeWave, AutoWave and SineWave mode.

MultiWave II is only available at the Regenerated

AC outlets.

Any turntable or equipment with AC

synchronous motors, such as some cooling

fans should not be used with MultiWave II.

This equipment must be used with 60Hz sin

mode.

We recommend the use of the SineWave

[SINE], or TubeWave [TWAVE] with any type

of tube based audio products.

[SINE] SineWave

In the SineWave mode the Power Plant will

generate a perfect SineWave (50-120Hz).

[TWAVE] TubeWave

TubeWave is specifically designed to optimize

the performance of tube based audio products.

TubeWave uses the same pseudorandom

generation of frequencies as MultiWave2 wave-

form, however it generates more tube-friendly

frequencies.

[MWAV1] MultiWave1

MultiWave1 is a single 60Hz SineWave with

a minute amount of 3rd Harmonic SineWaves

mixed together to form a single partial square

MultiWave. This is an improved version of PS2

from the original MultiWave™ series.

The partial square wave setting improves the

power supply’s ability to charge the capacitors

in equipment by extending the length of time

available to "top off" the capacitors' voltage. Use

this setting to enhance the performance of both

source and power equipment.

[MWAV2] MultiWave2

MultiWave2 is a 60Hz SineWave that

incorporates a pseudorandom collection of

frequencies which are dithered from 55-65Hz.

Using this slightly random frequency deviation is

similar to adding dither on a digital audio source.

Power supply dithering can lower the perceived

noise floor and help remove apparent glare on

the audio signal.

[MWAV3] MultiWave3

MultiWave3 is a combination of Multiwave1

with a slight degree of 3rd harmonic addition

(MultiWave1).

Try this setting and see how the audio sounds

and the video looks. All systems can respond

differently to each MultiWave pattern.

[MWAV4] MultiWave4

MultiWave4 is full combination of MultiWave1

and MultiWave2. It generates a pseudorandom

collection of frequencies, however instead of

generating SineWaves it generates the same

waveform as MultiWave1.

Again, try these setting on your system to see

which one has the highest perceived benefit in

terms of performance.

[AUTO] AutoWave

This revolutionary new process automatically

computes the best MultiWave II setting for

a particular power load as presented by the

connected equipment. The beauty of this system

is its ability to instantly change the power setting

of the AC regenerator with the dynamic load

variations the equipment presents.

AutoWave automatically selects MultiWave™ 2-

4 depending on the dynamics of the power load.

The selection is made continuously as the power

factor changes.

Music is a dynamic medium as is video. One

MultiWave II setting may be the best when an

audio/video system is reproducing low level

information and another MultiWave II setting is

probably better when higher levels of power are

delivered to either the loudspeaker or to a video

monitor.

AutoWave provides a solution by selecting

the exact waveform combination based on the

equipment’s dynamic needs.

Notice of MultiWave II operation:

Any turntable or equipment with AC synchronous fans should not

be used with MultiWave II or AutoWave. These products must

be used with 60Hz SINE mode or be plugged into the Filtered

AC outlets.

PS Audio P500 User manual

PS Audio P500 User manual

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